a/n: Well, here's another update for this really slow-moving story! It's so hard to write at the moment-writer's block is a terrible thing. Hope you all enjoy this!

Chapter 3

Lassiter tries to not note how Juliet walks into the police station without her boyfriend on her arm.

Oh, quit your moping. If you'd acted earlier on your feelings, you wouldn't be in this situation right now.

He shakes his head angrily before returning to glare at his paperwork. Really, this shouldn't be bothering him so much.

I just told him the truth, that's all.

"Morning, Carlton," Juliet says, breaking through the guilty fog that is Carlton's thoughts. His head snaps upwards to look at his partner.

"Oh. Good morning O'Hara," he mumbles. She smiles winningly at him before sitting down at her desk.

Carlton's head droops back down as he refocuses on the papers that refuse to write themselves. He looks up every time the station doors open, but not once does the fake psychic grace the bullpen with his presence. By the time lunch rolls around, Carlton has only gotten one case report written up and his brain feels very fuzzy. He looks up and finds Henry sitting at his own desk, writing something up. Henry senses that Carlton's looking at him and eyes him.

"Something on your mind, Carlton?" he asks. "You've been distracted all day."

Carlton shakes his head madly before mumbling some excuse about a terrible breakfast. He gets up and grabs his coat before dashing (why is he dashing?) out the front doors of the precinct. The moment he's outside, he dials a phone number that he probably shouldn't be. Shawn's sleepy voice answers him.

"H'lo?"

Carlton's voice catches in his throat. Why was he doing this again?

"Spencer."

Carlton can just see Shawn flinch on the other end.

"Hey Lassie."

The nickname drops out of the phone speakers with dead weight, no usual life or spunk behind the words. Carlton fidgets because one, he's not good with this feeling stuff and two, he's never been good at apologizing, even when it's his fault. He opts for dancing around the issue.

"Is Guster busy today?" he asks, voice gruffer than usual.

"Why does that matter to you?" Shawn yawns, voice still heavy with sleep. "It's not like you guys worked well the last time you tried."

Carlton works his best to bite back another scathing comment. This time, he's successful at keeping his tongue on its leash and he settles for silence

"Why'd you call, Lassie?" Shawn asks, his voice slowly losing its sleepy quality.

Carlton's free hand fiddles with the buttons on his coat.

"Last night, I—I mean, you haven't been by the station at all."

"So?"

"That's not normal," he blurts stupidly. "Normally by now, you'd have been by right about now and you would've annoyed me in about seventeen different ways."

"Aw, Lassie, do you miss me?"

Shawn's usual teasing is lacking any sort of life, and Carlton slumps slightly as he realizes that he's the cause. He silently apologizes to Shawn for what he's about to say next.

"No, Spencer, I don't."

"Well, it sure sounded like you did!"

Carlton can tell that Shawn is masking like crazy. He has to be the worst person ever, rubbing salt onto a wound that he reopened. He can't find any words to say in response to that and just opts for not talking. Shawn contributes to the conversation unilaterally after a couple seconds of quiet.

"Carlton, I cut my foot up real bad last night. I haven't had time to go to the doctor's yet and get crutches, so I'm home in bed."

Carlton gasps.

"Shit, I'm sorry," he mumbles.

"'Snot your fault," Shawn replies quietly. "I was just being clumsy."

Something wells up in Carlton's chest at that admission.

"You're not clumsy, Shawn."

There it is, again. First name basis, a surefire red flag. Shawn seems to notice it this time, as there's a pause in both talking and breathing on the other line.

"Well… I should go. Hope your foot gets better," Carlton stutters, hanging up the phone hurriedly. Glancing at his watch, he curses before walking angrily back into the precinct. It's not like he needed lunch, anyways, really.